DEVELOPING A PORJECT ACROSS ALL KEY STAGES

I am doing maternity cover and I am having a real problem teaching in the style and method asked for by the HOD. The problem is the exam groups are so entrenched in this method of working that to change would be negative to the pupils.
Basically the pupils spend a lot of time copying the work of other artists not even in appropriate or relevant materials. i spoke to a bright yr 11 boy yesterday and I asked him why he was copying a francis bacon painting he just answered he liked it and wasnt he expected to do studies of the artist. I said it can help but why had he done it in watercolour , he looked confused and I said oil pastel may be a better medium as it will echo the texture of bacons style.
Am I missing the point with this insistance of the department to copy the work of artists as I have always regarded it as pretty much a waste of materials and time and I have yet to find a pupil who actually learns anything from the process. I'm not about to change anything at the school I'm at as I know my place.

 

It might be more productive to get the pupils to work in the style of the artist providing that it is appropriate to thier project. this will allow them access to higher levels of understanding. highlighting the reasons for looking at the artists is quite important in addition to recording the reasons for the piece they are looking at who inspired the artist maybe who they went onto inspire briefly. my lot do this with bullet points. Having said all this, If you are sure that your hod wants you to do things a certain way then maybe thats the way it needs to be? if youre going to be there for longer maybe suggest things and see what he/she says?